Grand Reopening for Newly Renovated Strawser Park Playground

The Chillicothe Parks and Recreation department and the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (CIRP) invite Chillicothe’s residents to come celebrate the grand reopening of the newly renovated Strawser Park on Thursday, May 17, 2012 from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Strawser Park is located at the East end of Riverside Street, where it intersects with Sycamore Street, beside the bike path.

The playground at Strawser Park has been renovated with safe, new equipment that meets the 2008 revisions to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards for public playgrounds. As part of the renovation, the playground equipment is now compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which ensures that even children who are differently abled can enjoy a safe play environment at Strawser Park.

The celebration on May 17 will begin with welcoming remarks by Cathy Primer, director of Chillicothe Parks and Recreation, and Gary Smith, MD, DrPH, and director of CIRP, followed by the official reopening of the park’s playground by Mayor Jack Everson.

After the ceremony, Chillicothe’s youngest residents can take part in the celebration by playing on the newly installed playground equipment and enjoying games organized by the local YMCA. The first 100 children who come to the park reopening will also have the opportunity to receive a fitted bicycle helmet that is being provided with funding from the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation.

About the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP)
CIRP works globally to reduce injury-related pediatric death and disabilities. With innovative research at its core, CIRP works to continually improve the scientific understanding of the epidemiology, biomechanics, prevention, acute treatment and rehabilitation of injuries. CIRP serves as a pioneer by translating cutting edge injury research into education, advocacy and advances in clinical care. For related injury prevention materials, or to learn more about CIRP, go to http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/injury-research-and-policy. While visiting our website, sign up for the RSS feed in the What’s New section of our media center to receive e-mail updates of our latest news.